Softball Preview: Bella Vista Broncos vs. Rocklin Thunder
The Bella Vista Broncos will face off against the Rocklin Thunder at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday. The pair are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.
Bella Vista is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. Their pitcher stepped up to hand Cordova a 10-0 shutout. Bella Vista might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team's won ten matches by six runs or more this season.
Alyssa Dethlefson made a splash no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run and only two hits while striking out 11 over five innings pitched. Dethlefson has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't tossed less than five strikeouts in 11 consecutive pitching appearances. Dethlefson was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 1-for-2.
In other batting news, Bella Vista let Kylie Lair and Kaylie Hunt loose on the outfield. Lair went 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, while Hunt scored three runs and stole two bases while going 2-for-3. Hunt has been hot recently, having posted at least one stolen base the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Laila Kirwan, who went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, Rocklin scored the most runs they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They blew past Linden 13-0. Rocklin's victory was all the more impressive since Linden was averaging only 3.15 runs allowed on the season.
Like Bella Vista, Rocklin also got a great game from a two-way player: Payton Prior. She didn't allow a single earned run and only two hits while striking out six over five innings pitched. Prior was also solid in the batter's box, scoring a run while going 1-for-1.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Savannah Grigsby, who scored two runs and stole a base while going 2-for-3. Savannah Lorenzini was another key contributor, going 1-for-2 with a triple, two RBI, and a run.
Bella Vista pushed their record up to 19-4 with that win, which was their sixth straight at home. As for Rocklin, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 12-15.
Rocklin's pitching crew has a crucial task ahead of them: Bella Vista has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of .436. It's a different story for Rocklin, though, as they've only averaged .359. Will they be able to contain Bella Vista's hitters?
Bella Vista couldn't quite finish off Rocklin in their previous matchup back in May of 2016 and fell 3-1. Thankfully for Bella Vista, Carli Cutler (who struck out nine batters over seven innings while giving up just one earned run off seven hits) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
